Kristina Keneally in the Labor caucus meeting at Parliament House House in Canberra. Picture: Kym Smith

Politics

Keneally forced to defend refugee comments

by Anthony Galloway

3rd Jun 2019 5:35 AM
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LABOR'S new shadow home affairs minister, Kristina Keneally, has defended previous comments suggesting refugees on Manus Island and Nauru should be resettled in Australia instead of the United States.

Senator Keneally has come under fire from Home Affairs Minister Peter Dutton for a ­series of columns she wrote for the Guardian Australia website before entering parliament, in which she also called for a royal commission into ­Australia's offshore detention of children.

New Labor leader Anthony Albanese yesterday unveiled his shadow frontbench, giving Senator Keneally the task of taking the fight to Mr Dutton as Opposition spokeswoman for home affairs and immigration.

"If the boats have stopped because of turnbacks and other efforts, why does Australia need to keep detaining refugees in offshore detention ­facilities?" she wrote.

In a column two years earlier, Senator Keneally called for a royal commission into Australia's offshore processing of children following the release of the Australian Human Rights Commission's report into the situation.

The former NSW premier told the Herald Sun she no longer thought there needed to be a royal commission because the children were now off Manus and Nauru.

She said she supported the US trade swap deal and her reservations were about whether the agreement would be honoured.

"Whilst I fully support offshore processing, boat turnbacks where it's safe to do so, and regional resettlement, I do not believe offshore processing needs to be indefinite detention and necessarily cruel," Senator Keneally said.

"I would strongly urge the government to sit down as soon as possible with New Zealand - there is a solution that can be reached regarding the special visa class (to ban them from then entering Australia)."

In other appointments, Queensland MP Jim Chalmers will take on the role of shadow treasurer as expected - taking over from Chris Bowen, who has been given the health portfolio. Victorian-based deputy leader Richard Marles will continue as Labor's spokesman for defence.

Former leader Bill Shorten has been given the role of spokesman for the National Disability Insurance Scheme as well as government services.

The shadow Cabinet will include 12 men and 12 women, with Mr Albanese saying all were there "on merit".